In March of 2020, after more than a century and a half in print, The West Virginia Daily News shut its doors. The paper’s closing was deemed yet another casualty of the collateral damage left behind in the wake of COVID-19, and the Greenbrier Valley moved on…albeit slightly less informed.
Then something happened that changed the fate of the temporarily defunct newspaper; Dr. Scot Refsland read the March 27, 1890 edition of the Greenbrier Independent and stumbled across a passage that would breathe new life into the paper…
“Nothing shall be indifferent to us which advances the cause to truth and morality, or which concerns the welfare of the community in which we live.”
“I couldn’t be indifferent in letting an iconic legend like the Daily News die,” Refsland said.
On Friday, August 21, 2020, The West Virginia Daily News released its first issue in nearly six months, announcing a return to a full publication schedule. And when readers picked up their paper that day, they were greeted with two simple words: “We’re Back!”
That issue told readers “The West Virginia Daily News has been a part of the Greenbrier County community in various forms since 1866. That kind of legacy is one we aim to continue in our newest form, as we push the newspaper into modern times. We don’t just want to present you with the latest news and updates from around the area, we want this newspaper to belong to you.”
Since then, WVDN has released 147 daily editions and will be celebrating our milestone 150th edition on Tuesday, August 3. (In commemoration of that milestone, we will be unveiling our new logo and masthead.)
In honor of our loyal readers, we will be hosting a “Customer Appreciation Day” at our Lewisburg offices on Friday, July 30. The community is invited to join us here from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. So come join us for some hot dogs and popcorn, let your little ones jump in the bounce house and pet the baby lambs, meet Greenbrier County’s K0 Officer Thelma, enter for a chance to win State Fair tickets, and check out our subscription specials. We hope to see you and your families.
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